A woman from Carshalton has released her first collection short stories.

Sara Townsend wrote Soul Screams, 13 short stories, described as "dealing with the darkness of the soul".

They are about the inner scream that no-one else can hear but you.

Townsend has been writing since childhood and decided at the age of 10 that she was going to be a published novelist, however, it took her 30 years to realise the dream.

Since 2009 two of Townsend’s novels - Suffer the Children and Death Scene have been released as e-books.

She says: "I’m used writing throughout my life as a way of dealing with negative emotions and uncomfortable feelings.

"The stories included in Soul Scream span a 20-year period of my life – the earliest stories were written when I was 17.

"There are a lot of recurring themes representing things I was struggling to deal with at the time – betrayal, isolation and despair."

Soul Screams is available from stumarpress.webs.com/soulscreams.htm, for more information visit sarajaynetownsend.weebly.com.